Deepening Global Animation Industry Collaboration: Bilibili Debuts at MIFA Annecy 2026, Building a New Bridge for Two-Way Global Expansion of Chinese Animation

The Annecy International Animation Film Festival and its associated MIFA Market, hailed as the “Oscars of Animation”, stand as the world’s core platform for animation industry exchanges, project cooperation and cultural communication. On June 24, 2026 local time, Bilibili hosted the flagship industry panel From China to Global Animation: Synergy with BILIBILI, alongside a series of supporting activities including an industry networking cocktail reception, global project announcements and roundtable dialogues between Chinese and French creators. Centered on a complete two-dimensional content ecosystem, full-industry-chain collaboration frameworks and diversified global distribution networks, Bilibili follows a closed-loop development path of “Chinese creative leadership, cross-border collaborative creation and full-spectrum IP commercialization”. It is evolving Chinese animation from simple copyright exports to in-depth cross-border industrial integration, emerging as a pivotal hub connecting original Chinese animation to global markets.

I. Major Announcements at the Annecy Panel Unveil a New Paradigm for Cross-Border Co-Production

Hosted at the Imperial Palace Hall in Annecy, the open-access panel operated on a first-come, first-served basis, drawing animation studios, distributors and creators from across the globe. Divided into four core segments, the event comprehensively showcased Bilibili’s global layout for domestic animation: industry trend briefings, landmark cross-border co-production reveals, exclusive previews of upcoming content slates, and roundtable discussions between top Chinese and French animators on borderless storytelling.

Two landmark cooperation initiatives were officially unveiled on-site, expanding Bilibili’s international partnership landscape:

1. Bilibili × Manga Productions of Saudi Arabia: First Arab Co-Produced Animated Short HennaLaunched The two parties jointly developed the animated short Henna, which follows a young deaf girl who discovers her voice and a means of self-expression through henna art. Centered on the deaf and hard-of-hearing community and rooted in authentic Arab culture, the work conveys universal human emotions that transcend geographical boundaries. Marking Bilibili’s maiden animation co-production with an Arab studio, the project stems from a comprehensive strategic partnership inked by both sides in August 2025, covering full-spectrum collaboration in content creation, joint production and global distribution.

Dr. Essam Bukhary, CEO of Manga Productions, stated that the partnership unveiled at Annecy leverages Bilibili’s massive Gen Z user base of over 107 million daily active users to bring Saudi creative works to China and worldwide audiences. Riyadh Al-Dossary, director of Henna, added that the short film uses universally resonant visual storytelling to deliver a heartfelt local narrative free of cultural barriers.

1. Bilibili × France’s ADN & Passion Paris: Cross-Border Webtoon Adaptation UnveiledThe panel premiered an exclusive teaser for a co-developed webtoon animation jointly created with France’s ADN and Passion Paris, alongside new frameworks for financial support and global split-distribution cooperation. Under its MADEBYBILIBILI banner, Bilibili has invested in and produced over 300 diverse original Chinese animations spanning sci-fi, xianxia, suspense, action and romance genres. Its long-term strategic partnership with France’s leading animation media ADN unlocks European distribution and co-production channels, with open calls for cross-cultural animation scripts extended to creators worldwide.

As one of nine leading Chinese animation enterprises, Bilibili occupied Booth B.30 in the China Pavilion at Annecy, hosting one-on-one business matchmaking sessions with global creators and investors. A complimentary industry cocktail reception followed the panel, offering an open venue for cross-border practitioners to network and exchange resources, with exclusive Bilibili souvenirs available for all industry attendees.

II. Building a Full-Spectrum Global Distribution Network & Multi-Tiered International Commercial Closed Loop

Moving beyond the traditional single model of copyright sales, Bilibili has built a three-dimensional overseas commercial system spanning streaming platforms, linear television and offline IP derivatives. By the second half of 2025, the platform had distributed more than 177 original Chinese animations overseas, enabling long-term, sustainable IP monetization.

1. Deep Partnerships with Global Top Streaming Platforms for Pre-emptive Globalized DevelopmentBilibili maintains long-term ties with major international streaming services including Crunchyroll, Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+. Global marketing and localization resources are integrated at the project inception stage to guarantee simultaneous high-profile overseas premieres.
2. Dedicated Domestic Animation Channel Launched on Overseas Television to Diversify OutreachIn strategic collaboration with Japan’s Fuji TV, Bilibili launched B8station, a dedicated linear channel broadcasting Chinese animation, breaking the limits of exclusive online streaming and enabling large-scale coverage via traditional television networks.
3. Full-Lifecycle IP Symbiotic Monetization Model Fosters a Self-Sustaining Content EcosystemIPs are expanded into offline concerts, digital albums, collectible figures, vinyl records and cross-industry cultural tourism tie-ins, forming a virtuous cycle: content creation → offline consumption → revenue reinvestment into new productions. For instance, Link Click has partnered with tourism authorities across multiple regions to launch offline themed exhibitions, delivering mutual value for animation content and urban cultural tourism.

III. Benchmark Overseas IPs Win Global Acclaim with Resonant Chinese Stories

Backed by its mature global operation system, multiple original Bilibili animations have gained international traction, earning both critical praise and viewership success while establishing replicable templates for Chinese animation’s global expansion.

1. Link Click: A Benchmark for Global Offline Expansion via Suspense & Music

Centered on a time-travel suspense narrative, the series features an international story arc titled London Chapter, crafted to align with global audience aesthetics. Capitalizing on the work’s standout musical identity, Bilibili produced the synchronized global M.O.D LIVE concert tour, with all nine shows fully sold out and drawing over 10,000 attendees in total. Vinyl releases and music merchandise drive sustained long-term revenue, cementing the title as a trailblazer for Chinese animation music going global.

2. TO BE HERO X: A Phenomenal International Hit from Top-Tier Sino-Japanese Co-Production

A landmark high-level joint project between Bilibili and Sony ANIPLEX, the series is led by Chinese director Li Haoling’s creative team, which oversees core storytelling and art planning, with support from elite domestic studios including Paper Plane Animation and Lead Party Animation. ANIPLEX contributes world-class industrial production workflows and global marketing resources, while renowned Japanese composer Hiroyuki Sawano scores the soundtrack, achieving seamless integration of “Chinese creative vision and international industrial capacity”.

Blending 2D hand-drawn artwork with innovative 3DCG visuals, the series has been hailed by overseas audiences as “China’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse“. Upon its release in 2025, it earned a score of approximately 8.5 on MyAnimeList, the leading Western animation rating platform, ranking among the top spring new anime releases worldwide.

IV. From Content Buyer to Global Production Integrator: Bilibili Elevates the Role of China’s Animation Industry

Over the years, Bilibili has continuously expanded its overseas animation industrial layout, transforming from a mere content purchaser into a cross-border co-production coordinator and fostering a two-way collaborative international creative ecosystem.

1. Deep Footing in Japan’s Animation Industry to Integrate Local Production Committee SystemsAs early as 2016, Bilibili acquired Japanese animation studio Children’s Playground Entertainment. Leveraging its local overseas team, the platform directly invests in and independently produces Japanese animation, fully integrating Japan’s mature industrial framework. Advanced production techniques and industrial workflows from overseas are introduced back to upgrade domestic animation production pipelines.
2. Regular Collaboration with Global Studios to Build a Cross-Border Creative NetworkBeyond Japan, Bilibili maintains deep partnerships with animation studios and media outlets across France, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and other regions. It exports mature Chinese animation IPs while co-developing original works with overseas creative talent to facilitate two-way cultural exchange between China and the rest of the world. The Sino-French creator roundtable at Annecy explored cross-cultural storytelling methodologies, equipping animators with tools to reduce cultural friction when launching Chinese animation internationally.

V. Synergistic Online & Offline Ecosystems Consolidate Foundations for Cross-Cultural Communication with Global Gen Z

Complementing its presence at international overseas festivals, Bilibili draws on operational experience from its flagship domestic youth culture expo Bilibili World to fuel global animation outreach. Held annually in Shanghai each July, Bilibili World centers on anime, comics and gaming culture. The 2025 edition attracted 400,000 attendees, 13% of whom were international visitors, with related topics amassing over 5.5 billion views online. The expo precisely targets core young global anime fans, linking online content distribution with immersive offline IP experiences. Insights from fan operations and offline IP activation gained at the event are shared with international teams, enabling cross-border alignment of industrial operation methodologies.

From the slate of landmark cross-border projects unveiled at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival to a complete industrial chain covering global distribution, co-production and IP monetization, Bilibili leverages its MADEBYBILIBILI original animation label to drive high-quality global expansion for Chinese animation. Moving forward, the platform will further deepen multi-country co-production partnerships, expand international distribution channels and build exchange platforms for Chinese and overseas animators. Using animation as a cultural medium, it will continue to tell authentic Chinese stories with universal global appeal, fostering mutual empowerment and collaborative growth between Chinese and global animation industries.